System and method for fine cursor positioning using a low resolution imaging touch screen

• US 20060244735A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wilson, Andrew D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,605,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A system to position an element on a visual display is provided. The disclosed system comprises a touch detection module that detects a touch upon a touch-sensitive surface of a visual display. Also included is a position module that receives input from the touch detection module to derive a position of a touch. Further, an offset module derives an offset for an element of a user interface. Methods of using this system are also provided.

Claims

1. A system for positioning an element on a visual display, comprising:

a touch detection module that detects a touch upon a touch-sensitive surface of a visual display;

a position module that derives a position of the touch; and

an offset module that uses the position of the touch to derive an offset for an element of a user interface.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an anchor detection module that uses the detected touch to detect an anchoring event that indicates that a user has touched the touch-sensitive surface in a manner consistent with a desire to exercise fine levels of control.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the anchor detection module detects an anchoring event based at least in part upon an approach selected from the group consisting of:

a determination that two or more touched areas are discontinuous;

a determination that a first touched area has changed its position relative to a second touched area; and

a determination that a change in position of a first touched area relative to a second touched area is consistent with movement of a portion of a human hand upon a planar surface.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the anchor detection module detects an anchoring event based at least in part upon at least one approach selected from the group consisting of:

a reference to a coordinate map;

a reference to information relating to human anatomical structures; and

a reference to information relating to anatomical structures of a human hand.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the anchor detection module detects an anchoring event based at least in part upon at least one approach selected from the group consisting of:

a reference to a continuous function that represents a degree to which anchoring has occurred;

a reference to a substantially continuous function that represents a degree to which anchoring has occurred;

a reference to a discontinuous function that represents a degree to which anchoring has occurred; and

a reference to a discrete function that represents a degree to which anchoring has occurred.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising an orientation module that uses the position to calculate an orientation.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the orientation module calculates an orientation based at least in part upon an approach selected from the group consisting of:

a shape of a touched area;

a reference to information relating to human anatomical structures; and

a reference to information relating to anatomical structures of a human hand.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the element of a user interface is selected from the group consisting of a cursor, a pointer, a menu, and a button.

9. A method for positioning an element of a graphical user interface on a visual display, comprising:

detecting a touch on at least a portion of a touch-sensitive visual display;

calculating a position of the detected touch; and

calculating an offset for an element to be positioned on a visual display from the calculated position.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining whether a fine level of control for the element is indicated.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein calculating an offset is based at least in part on a result of determining whether a fine level of control for the element is indicated.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether a fine level of control for the element is indicated comprises:

detecting a second touch on at least a portion of a touch-sensitive visual display;

calculating a first area affected by the first touch;

calculating a second area affected by the second touch; and

determining that the first and second areas are substantially separate.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether a fine level of control for the element is indicated comprises at least one of:

determining a degree to which a user has anchored a hand by using a reference function;

determining a correlation between a shape of an area affected by the touch and a shape of a structure of a human hand; and

calculating whether an amount of time elapsed between the detection of the first touch and a detection of a second touch is within a predetermined range.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising calculating an orientation of a touched area.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein calculating an orientation comprises at least one of:

calculating an axis through the shape of the area; and

comparing a map of an area affected by the touch with properties of anatomical structures of a human hand.

16. Computer-interpretable instructions to cause a computer to perform the method of claim 9, embodied in a form selected from:

a computer-readable medium; and

a data signal.

17. A system to position an element on a visual display, comprising:

means for detecting a touch on at least a portion of a touch-sensitive visual display;

means for calculating a position of the touch; and

means for calculating an offset for an element to be positioned on a visual display from the calculated position.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for determining whether a fine level of control for the element is indicated.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for calculating an orientation of a touched area.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for determining comprises at least one of:

means for detecting a second touch by a user on at least a portion of a touch-sensitive visual display, calculating a first area affected by the touch, calculating a second area affected by a second touch, and determining that the first area and the second area are substantially separate;

means for creating a coordinate map representing a touched region;

means for determining a degree to which a user has anchored a hand by using a reference function;

means for determining a correlation between a shape of a touched area and a shape of a structure of a human hand; and

means for calculating whether an amount of time elapsed between the detection of the touch and a detection of a second touch is within a predetermined range.